Conversations with influential figures from the UK’s education sector, about the issues affecting teachers, school leaders, and the wider school system, in a time of tremendous pressure. Here you’ll find solidarity in the stories of educators just like you; discover evidence-based tools to alleviate stress and stay ahead in your career. Hosted by Maria Brosnan, an Educational Health and Wellbeing Specialist with over 30 years experience.
Episodes
Sunday Oct 04, 2020
Sunday Oct 04, 2020
In the current challenging circumstances, it can feel overwhelming as a school leader to know what's 'the 'right thing to do'. Guidelines are open to such wide interpretation that it can feel like a legal or employment minefield.
Emma Webster is an Employment Solicitor with over 15 years experience advising employers and employees, without litigation.
In this fascinating conversation with Emma, she explains:
- The number one thing for the Senior Leadership Team to focus on in these challenging times.
- Is 'wellbeing' a legal concept?
- How to support a staff member with anxiety. NB. According to the Equality Act, a disability means a physical or a mental condition which has a substantial and long-term impact on your ability to do normal day to day activities.
- Can you guarantee staff safety in your school?
- Interpreting the guidelines.
- Enlisting support from the Unions and Governors.
- What to do if a member of staff is too anxious to work or wants to shield a family member.
- How to approach pregnancy and maternity?
- The difference between a legal obligation and a moral obligation.
- Where do morality and kindness come into play.
- And much more!
Emma is currently a consultant with YESS (having previously been CEO), a charity which provides employment law advice focussed on avoiding litigation and resolving disputes.
You can connect with Emma:
On Twitter @Emmakwebster and @YESSLaw
The YESS Law website is https://www.yesslaw.org.uk/
The Maternity Action website is https://maternityaction.org.uk/
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Pupil behaviour is the second highest reason why teachers leave the profession (behind workload.) Adele shares her key strategies for teachers, school leaders and educators who are struggling to engage pupils with challenging behaviour; who want to create inclusive classrooms where learning is the focus.
Adele Bates is a behaviour and Education Specialist with over 18 years' experience.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore -
- How teacher wellbeing is affected by poor pupil behaviour.
- What teachers can do for themselves, especially in setting and holding healthy boundaries.
- How to create the infrastructure and support for teachers' around behaviour.
- Dealing with challenging behaviour and wellbeing post-lockdown.
- Allowing more time and space in the classroom to help pupils dealing with trauma to feel safe.
- How and when to manage your own self-care. (Hint: It’s not going to change unless you change something.)
- Knowing your own triggers (so your students don't trigger them.)
- Adele's 'magic bullet' in managing behaviour using a free, easy tool.
- And the key way that Adele manages her personal wellbeing.
I urge you to listen to this part of the podcast if you have a menstrual cycle or live or work with someone who does. This is information that was life-changing for Adele and incredibly eye-opening for me. It starts around 35 minutes into the podcast. - And much more!
You can connect with Adele:
- On Twitter @adelebatesZ
- Her website is adelebateseducation.co.uk, where you can join her 6-week mini-CPD training on supporting behaviour for teachers and pupils, available for just £15.
- She's currently writing her new book, “Miss, I don’t give a sh*t.” published by Sage Publications.
Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Thursday Sep 24, 2020
Thursday Sep 24, 2020
Stress, anxiety and exhaustion levels are sky-high for many teachers. We know we can't 'pour from an empty cup'; we need to put our own 'oxygen mask' on first; we should be practising 'self-care'. But how?
Best selling author, Therese Hoyle, shares simple, practical tools and strategies to help. With over 25 years’ teaching experience, she knows first hand how hard it can be in schools right now.
In this inspiring conversation, we talk about how to:
- Recognise draining situations and learn to eliminate them.
- Create clear, self-care, action plans that that support you in creating health, vitality and a positive mindset.
- How to create a culture of kindness in school and why it matters.
- Why staff rewards and appreciation are essential.
- And much more!
Therese has over 25 years’ teaching experience in mainstream & special education.
Since 1996, Therese has worked nationally and internationally with over 450 schools and organisations, and more than 14,500 individuals.
She has inspired them with her programmes: Flourishing Schools, Keys to Wellbeing, Positive Playtime, Circle Time, Positive Behaviour Management, Emotional Literacy and Leadership Coaching programmes.
Therese has a passion for creating positive school environments and for supporting children in reaching their full and true potential.
You can connect with Therese:
Twitter @theresehoyle
Instagram @theresehoyle
Facebook @theresehoyle
Her website is www.ThereseHoyle.com where you can find her books and resources.
Download her free Wellbeing Toolkit here.
Her books are widely available:
- 101 Playground Games
- 101 Wet Playtime Games
- And Therese is contributing author of How to Be a Peaceful School.
Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Sunday Sep 20, 2020
Sunday Sep 20, 2020
Staffrooms have a vital role to play in schools. They're normally the hub of the staff community and a place to eat, drink, work, socialise and rest. So what can we do without them, or with limited access to one?
Kimberley Evans started Nourish the Workplace to gives schools the tools they need to prioritise and celebrate staff wellbeing.
In this conversation, Kimberley shares her ideas on;
- The importance of the staffroom, now more than ever.
- How to adjust the staffroom in a time of physical distancing, to avoid 'social distancing' of the staff.
- The most important question for SLT to ask staff every few weeks.
- How to deal are the 'pinch points' in the school and school day.
- Why communication is key.
- Why making the effort, taking the time and investing a little bit of money in wellbeing measures now, will pay dividends in the long term.
- Creative ways to work with the PTA, families and wider community to support staff.
- Why prioritising wellbeing is vitally important now, to reduce the risk of sickness absences across the staff.
- The 3 R's of wellbeing - Rest, Refuel, Recharge.
- And much more!
Kimberley began her teaching career over 20 years ago.
She left teaching 2 years ago to set up Nourish the Workplace to make a difference in the profession she loves. After seeing many people leave education due to unhappiness and workload she made a commitment to show schools how easy it is to improve staff wellbeing.
Connect with Kimberley:
- On Twitter @nourishworkplace
- Her website is www.nourishtheworkplace.com
- Download her free Staffroom guide.
Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Monday Sep 14, 2020
Monday Sep 14, 2020
We know how important whole-school wellbeing is, but it can be difficult to know where to start or what to prioritise. These 3 simple exercises help you start in the classroom.
Vanessa McHardy is an Integrative Child Psychotherapist who works in schools and has a private practice in London.
In this inspiring conversation with Vanessa, we explore;
- Why it’s so important to support the wellbeing of everyone in school and simple, practical ways to do this.
- The intriguing and vital role of our connective tissue in supporting our wellbeing.
- 3 exercises we can do to relieve stress; so simple we can easily teach them to our children and young people.
- Helping Wellbeing Leads in school to cope.
- A shocking 80% of people don’t ask for help when having difficulties.
- Simple steps to deal with this and create a system of communication to be more open about how we’re feeling or coping, without fear of embarrassment or shame.
- Vanessa’s self talk, “You are not being chased by a tiger!”
- The exciting opportunity schools have to put the wellbeing of everyone front and centre now.
- How good wellbeing benefits everyone, including academic results.
- Covid 19 has shown ‘we’re all in this together’, but we’re having unique experiences. Her free training program ‘Same Sea, Different Boats’ helps schools address and create a powerful piece of work out of it.
- And much more!
Vanessa has developed a therapeutic return to school series of programmes and initiatives through the generous funding of the Lars Windhorst Foundation, you can find these at the website www.sameseadifferentboats.com.
She is a specialist in practical, simple life skills that support mental health and wellbeing.
You can connect with Vanessa:
On Twitter @vanessamchardy
Her website is www.sameseadifferentboats.com
Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Monday Sep 14, 2020
Monday Sep 14, 2020
We all have character strengths. When we know what they are, we can use them to powerfully enhance our individual wellbeing and create an environment in the classroom and across the school that enables everyone to flourish.
Frederika Roberts is a speaker, trainer, author and occasional lecturer in Positive and Character Education and Positive Psychology.
In this fascinating conversation, we explore:
- What ‘character strengths’ are and how understanding them can support our wellbeing.
- The core set of 24 character strengths we all share.
- Ways to discover and develop your top 5 character strengths.
- Practical applications for using them with your children or young people in the classroom and with colleagues across the school.
- Research by Barbara Frederickson showing the positive upward spiral that positive emotions can create.
- The importance of creating 'micro-moments of connection', especially during Covid 19 restrictions.
- What all 24 character strengths are.
- How we can understand and look more kindly on people that irritate us, by looking through the lens of character strengths.
- How you can introduce this work into your classroom or school, even as an individual.
- And much more!
Frederika is passionate about supporting schools in enabling individuals and communities to flourish and, to this end, has completed a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and is undertaking a Doctorate in Education to underpin her work in schools.
She is the Founder and Managing Director of Educate to Flourish CIC, a not-for-profit organisation set up to support children’s flourishing during and beyond their years in education.
You can connect with Frederika:
Via Twitter at @frederika_r
Her websites are www.educatetoflourish.org.uk
And www.happiness-speaker.co.uk
Her book is For Flourishing’s Sake.
Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com.
Check your Top 5 Character Strengths at Via Institute www.viacharacter.org
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Being a newly qualified or recently qualified teacher in 2020 will be challenging. On top of the usual demands of a new career, dealing with the uncertainty of Covid and implementing guidelines in school brings unique challenges.
John Rees is an experienced teacher, speaker, coach, trainer and consultant with more than 25 years educational leadership experience.
The main focus of our conversation today is around ideas, tips and strategies to support NQTs [Newly Qualified Teachers] and RQTs [Recently Qualified Teachers] and their mentors.
In this episode we explore:
- Why relationships are the key to a healthy school culture.
- How Mentors can help their NQTs or RQTs feel valued, supported, cared for and protected.
- Embracing the challenge of uncertain times.
- How we can create the conditions for people to do their job well.
- Why teaching can be the best job in the world.
- And much more!
John is passionately committed to improving the learning and life chances of children and young people.
He provides training & consultancy in PSHE [Personal, Social, Emotional Health] Citizenship and SMSC [Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development] and all aspects of school improvement, supporting individuals, organisations and Local Authorities, including public health teams.
You can connect with John:
On Twitter
His Website is www.pshesolutions.co.uk
You can connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing.
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
School leadership in 2020 is more challenging than any other time in living memory. We explore how school leaders can protect their wellbeing and build a thriving school culture in a time of crisis.
Sonia Gill is a qualified teacher who has taught all ages from 4 to 16. She's also had a successful career in business, having been selected onto the prestigious John Lewis leadership programme.
Sonia founded her company Headsup in 2011 where she and her team have been supporting schools to become genuinely outstanding. The schools they support are four times more likely to gain or maintain their outstanding judgement.
She’s the author of two Number 1 ranked books, ‘Journey to Outstanding’ and ‘Successful Difficult Conversations in school’.
We focus on leadership in this episode, and explore:
- What is 'school culture'?
- How to create a healthy culture in your school and how this affects wellbeing at all levels in the school.
- Setting and managing your personal boundaries, to reduce the risk of burnout.
- The difference between 'equity' and 'fairness' and how this simple framework can help you make better decisions, more quickly as a leader.
- How to use your school vision and values to inform decision making.
- What Sonia has learned working with so many school leaders over lockdown, that can help support you going forward.
- Ideas to help you look after yourself and your wellbeing as a school leader.
- And much more!
You can connect with Sonia:
On Twitter
Her website is ukheadsup.com
Sign up for her daily emails to support school leaders through the pandemic and more.
Her books are:
Journey to Outstanding
Successful Difficult Conversations in school
You can connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing.
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
How do we support the wellbeing of teachers, as well as their students and young people at a time of great change, challenge and uncertainty?
Dr Sue Roffey is a psychologist, academic, author, activist and speaker. She is currently an honorary professor at universities in the UK and Australia and the Director of Growing Great Schools Worldwide.
In this wide ranging conversation with Sue, we discuss:
- Focussing on things within a teacher’s control.
- What “social capital” is, and we develop it in school.
- Why we should stop talking about social distancing.
- The importance of belonging and connecting with each other in school.
- Her ASPIRE principles:
- Agency: Giving people a voice and responsibility.
- Safety: Physical and emotional safety. Mistakes are welcome as a pathway to learning.
- Positivity: Positive psychology. Focussing on kindness, gratitude and play.
- Inclusion: Welcoming everybody, regardless. Giving everybody a role so they can participate. Fostering the sense of belonging.
- Respect: Good listening, not making quick judgments or assumptions, empower others.
- Equality: How do we enable everyone to develop their strengths?
Sue is a prolific author, having written chapters, blogs and numerous books on issues related to school and student wellbeing such as behaviour, relationships and social/emotional learning.
You can connect with Sue:
On Twitter
Her website is Growing Great Schools Worldwide.com
Her TedX Talk is School as Family Education Aligned with Healthy Child Development.
Her books are available on her website:
- The Primary Behaviour Cookbook.
- The Secondary Behaviour Cookbook.
- Circle Solutions for Student Wellbeing.
You can connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing.
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
What are the 3 'musts' that cause teachers anxiety and stress?
Sam Garner is a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and trains education staff nationally and internationally. She is a published author of the book 'Mental Health in Education - Building Good Foundations' and writes CBT programmes for schools.
Sam is a renowned speaker and trainer on Mental Health and Special Educational Needs (SEN) and an ex SENCO.
In this enjoyable conversation with Sam, we talk about:
- What works for your mental health.
- How you can do things that bring you balance and peace.
- Why it's so important to recharge your battery.
- How to deal with the 3 “musts” that cause us anxiety and stress.
- Coming out of social bubbles and dealing with social situations.
- Forgiving ourselves and others (and why it's so important.)
- Dealing with the dreaded “Imposter Syndrome”.
- And much more!
You can connect with Sam:
On Twitter
Her website is Samanthagarner.co.uk
Her book is Mental Health in Education - Building Good Foundations
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing.
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.